Osawatomie resident Krista Appleton enters her trailer on July 4 hoping to salvage what she could after severe flooding, while Richard McCrackin holds his boat steady.

Topeka ? After a devastating freeze, killer tornado and widespread flooding, Kansas officials are preparing changes in state disaster recovery efforts for the Legislature to consider in January.

In the meantime, the State Finance Council – made up of Gov. Kathleen Sebelius and legislative leaders – is doing the administrative lifting to get assistance to areas hit by disasters.

On Friday, the council voted 9-0 to send $5 million to southeast Kansas to help businesses recover from flooding that occurred in late June.

Sebelius proposed the package aimed at helping businesses rebuild, replace damaged equipment and restore jobs.

In June, the Finance Council approved $7.5 million for recovery efforts in Greensburg, where 10 people were killed in a tornado May 4 that flattened most of the town.

More disaster funds have been allocated for damage from a late spring freeze in western Kansas.

When lawmakers return in January for the 2008 legislative session, leaders said they will work on more proposals for the recent disasters and to meet future ones.

“Come January, there will be a pretty comprehensive flood disaster relief package put together,” said Senate Majority Leader Derek Schmidt, R-Independence.

“We need to develop a plan that will apply to future disasters,” said Senate President Steve Morris, R-Hugoton. “We need to have a generic plan available.”

Schmidt said the federal government has helped individuals, but the state needs to fill “an enormous gap in the federal disaster response system with respect to commercial activities.”

That may include sales tax exemptions for purchases of business equipment, he said. Schmidt added that changes to the school finance law are needed to ensure that schools in disaster areas aren’t shortchanged of state funding because of temporary drops in enrollment.

Sebelius said the flooding in southeast Kansas affected 23 counties and each area has different needs.

But overall, she said, helping businesses regain their footing was key.

There has been some talk of a special legislative session this summer to deal with some of the issues, but Sebelius said she didn’t think that was necessary because the State Finance Council has the authority to make emergency appropriations when the Legislature isn’t in session.